Whether your Boulder real estate will be your primary residence or used only as investment property, you'll be glad to hear that property in Boulder has appreciated 5% or more each year since 1988. Many years since 1979 show appreciation significantly greater than 5% in Boulder.



While the average price for a single-family home in Boulder is $400,000, there are plenty of homes available in the low $100,000 all the way into the millions. According to most real estate market reports of the area, houses are on the market for 60 ? 90 days before they sell. When they are bought, sellers typically get between 95% and 100% of their asking price. Houses are priced fairly and there is a steady influx of people buying homes in Boulder.

What type of person owns real estate in Boulder? There is one major university and a handful of colleges, so there are plenty of students and professors in the area. IBM, Ball Aerospace, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Amgen, Lockheed Martin and Celestial Seasonings have each set up shop in Boulder employing a significant number of the area residents as well. The annual income of Boulderites is about $20,000 greater than the national average.

Boulder supports and encourages small businesses to join the community. The businesses that set up shop in the town, whether on Pearl Street (featuring earthy goods ranging from gypsy to ethereal) or Twenty-Ninth Street (upscale and quite posh), have historically done quite well. Many of these shops are one-of-a-kind types, bringing in spenders from all over the greater Denver Metro area.

To continue their economic development and prosperity, the Chamber of Commerce established an Economic Vitality Program, bringing resources together with those looking to relocate or start a business in the robust community. A slew of information about the Economic Vitality Program is available at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce's web site.

The conservation-minded will find many of the housing options in Boulder are right in line with their thinking. There are plenty of solar-powered and self-sustaining homes available in the area, possibly more per capita than any other incorporated area in the US. There is even an entire community built around the concept of environmentally friendly.

In Holiday, the ?green? community, the streets are designed to allow residents to view the majesty of the surrounding Rocky Mountains and Flatirons as well as promote auspicious solar exposure. The community park was planned to improve the quality of runoff water in the area. Homes were conservatively built with resources that are sustainable during and after harvesting, and non-toxic construction materials. Street lighting was modeled to be energy efficient and reduce light pollution so residents can admire the stars at night.

The diversity of those that choose to live in Boulder is unmatched. During rush-hour, you'll find almost as many cyclists commuting home as motorized vehicles. More than 50,000 participants, from gorillas to mothers hoping to induce labor, take part in the Bolder Boulder each Memorial Day, the nations most attended 10K run/walk. There are over 120 trails area trails for runners to train on. Each April 20, a large group of marijuana enthusiasts join together for an annual cannabis culture ritual on the public campus of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

There are a number of famous homes and structures in and around Boulder. The Stand, by Stephen King, was set in Boulder, where Mr. King lived for about a year. The hotel from The Shining was inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, a town about 30 minutes for Boulder. Mystery author Stephen White used Boulder as the primary backdrop in a series of books. The television sitcom Mork & Mindy starring Robin Williams was set in Boulder. The house at 1619 Pine Street in Boulder was used as the exterior shot of Mindy's home.

Famous people have called a piece of Boulder real estate home as well. Besides Stephen King, the creators of the animated television show South Park attended the University of Colorado, Boulder. Kristin Davis, of Sex in the City fame, was born in Boulder and spent a bit of her childhood there. JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty queen and murder victim, was also from Boulder.

There are summer Shakespeare festivals, an open-air farmers market twice a week, motorcyclist rides that draw hundreds of bikers each Thursday in the summer in addition to multiple community events every day of the week. It's no wonder there are so many people ready to move to Boulder and find a great piece of real estate to call home.